Have you gotten an email from Sarah or James from Prestige LLC offering you a checking specialist job opportunity? Beware! It’s not legit. Prestige Parcel LLC is a dubious employment opportunity set up to scam job seekers. See how the scam works and ways to protect yourself if you’re a victim;
What makes Prestige LLC a Scam?
Prestige LLC portrays itself as an international shipping company located in Louisiana that ships packages all around the world. The job position offered involves dubious roles; receive packages and inspect for damages, take photos of the products and upload details onto dashboard, go to a fedex ups usps to send out the packages. BUT, no shipping job is real.
The Prestige LLC scam is a parcel mule scam for which a third-party victim is “hired” by a fraudster. The unsuspecting victim is promised payment for receiving illegally obtained packages at one address, then shipping them to a different address.
So what happens when you get hired? Here’s a breakdown of how the scam works and how to stay protected;
What Happens When You Get Hired by Prestige LLC?
Once you get hired, the fraudsters would request you send your personal information (SSN, drivers license address, e.t.c) for verification purposes. After verification, you would receive tons of parcels which you’re expected to check and then ship back. These packages were bought with stolen credit cards. You could also be unknowingly aiding scammers with money laundering and possibly other offenses.
The job seems pretty much easy and the pay is unbelievable too good to be true. You wouldn’t receive a paycheck but find yourself possibly slammed with a felony charge.Prestige LLC have simply tricked you into doing their dirty work.
Red Flags
The LLC license used by Prestige LLC isn’t theirs. The address linked to the LLC is a restaurant supply store. We called the restaurant supply store and the owner informed us that Prestige has never resided there and it’s not anywhere in the town.
The name they introduced themselves as ‘James’ is different the email username ‘Mark’.
Their website prestigeparcelllc.com contains just a bunch of stock pictures from google. Its registration details show it was launched on 13th August 2023 whereas the website claims they’ve been operating for more than 5 years.
What to Do If you fell for this Employment Scam
If you’ve already submitted your personal details and CV to the crooks behind this fake employment offer. You should do the following;
Enroll in identity theft monitoring services
Identity protection services like Experian or Aura monitor databases that collect different types of information. When you enroll with them, you’d receive an alert notifying you of suspicious activities like –
- a change of address request
- court or arrest records
- orders for new utility, cable, or wireless services
- an application for a payday loan, etc.
Experian.com for example, has a basic Identity Theft monitoring plan which is free. I advise that you sign up for it, if you can’t afford the premium plan which is $24.99 monthly.
Alert your Bank of the Fraudulent Transaction
If you fell for the equipment vendor plot and made the payment using your account, immediately notify your bank. Send screenshots of the conversations between you and the criminal, payment receipt, etc.
You should also request for a chargeback if it’s possible to recover your money.
Spread Awareness of the Ongoing Scam
It’s very important that you inform people of your experience with the crooks impersonating Conformal Medical. You could do this on Forums, or even Threads like Reddit. This would help prevent others from being victims of the scam.
You can also go a step further by reporting the scam to government authorities like – FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). This would make them put up a notice warning the public of the scam.
Warning Signs of Job Scams
1 – Unsolicited Recruitment Text
Received an unsolicited job offer via WhatsApp, text message or email? There’s a likelihood that it’s a scam, especially if it came from a company you’ve never applied to. Legit companies wouldn’t send you job texts out of the blues. There’s always a due process for hiring.
2- Too Good To Be True Pay
This is one of the very first red flags. It’s true we all like the idea of being paid high, but when the quoted pay is far above what the industry normally pays, you need to pause. If they’re promising to pay higher than the market rate, tread with caution. Sometimes they might promise unrealistic work hours with no specific skill for huge pay, making the job look irresistible. That’s just a bait with which to entice their victims.
3 – Conducts a Shallow Interview
The interview process is always a dead giveaway. It’s always quick and short, without any depth. Then you’re told you’ve been hired. Most times, the interview is hosted on Signal App or Telegram, via text messages with just an acting HR.
No legitimate business or company would hire an employee without a thorough interview to ascertain if they indeed meet the criteria.
4 – Requests for a Fee
If after the interview and onboarding, you’re asked to pay an amount of money, then it’s a scam. This fee could either be labelled ‘Application fee’ or ‘Upgrade fee’. Whatever name it’s called, legit companies don’t collect money from employees.
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